The present invention relates generally to food processing devices, and more particularly to an improved hand-held food processor capable of cutting, slicing, shredding or grating foodstuffs loaded into a compartment and fed automatically there through by a releasable spring-driven press mechanism that is activated during operation to facilitate handling and manipulation of the processor by the user.
Food processing devices that can cut, slice, grate and shred food have become a staple product in the household as a sensible and timesaving alternative to manual food preparation. These food processing devices appear in a variety of shapes and sizes with many of them being electrically powered, either by cord connection to an electrical outlet or by a self-contained power supply. In recent times, electrical mini-processors have been developed that are more powerful yet more compact than their predecessors. While these mini-processors have been easier to use and less cumbersome, they are generally designed for stationary use and not for portable, hand-held operation. Because of their characteristic portability, general convenience and stand-by readiness, hand-held food processors, even though typically less powerful than the stationary food processing devices, continue to find favor with consumers in their food preparation activities.
Numerous hand-held devices have been devised for performing any or all of the processing operations of cutting, slicing, grating or shredding of foodstuffs, such as vegetables, fruits and cheeses. One example of a most recent hand-held food processor is that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,107 (Romano) wherein the foodstuff to be processed is loaded into a hollow cavity and pushed down and onto a reciprocating cutting blade by the gripping and squeezing action of the user upon a handle-like pusher and an actuator lever pivotally connected thereto. This completely manually-powered device is particularly lightweight and easy to handle but limited, to a certain extent, in the capacity of its hollow cavity and in the amount of foodstuffs that can be loaded into the cavity and processed effectively at any one time using the normal gripping span of the user's hand. Other types of prior art hand-held food processors having self-contained electrical power units with associated motors that drive rotatable cutting blades, such as those devices shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,718 (Gaber et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,037 (Bigelow), effectively process and deliver sliced, shredded or grated foodstuff, as selected, from whole stock loaded into the processors. However, these and other electrically powered devices tend to be larger and heavier in size, becoming more difficult to handle and manipulate, particularly with one hand, and further rely on battery units to power their motor drives that can discharge rapidly and require frequent replacement or recharging.
While these and other prior art hand-held food processors may be suitable for their general purposes, there is still a need for improvements in the ease and effectiveness of the loading and delivery of the foodstuffs to be processed as well as in facilitating the handling and manipulation of such food processors by the consumer user.